


Without a Voice

by jabotus



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Angst, Horses, M/M, Romance, Wine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-30
Updated: 2013-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 16:43:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/864268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jabotus/pseuds/jabotus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel had given up on ever falling in love after a freak accident left him a mute.  Instead he dedicated his time into raising horses, the family winery, and the boring library job Castiel set him up with.  Meeting Sam Winchester was not supposed to happen.  And watching his brother fall for Sam's brother wasn't making life any easier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Without a Voice

**Author's Note:**

> Partially inspired by the myth of Loki having his mouth sewn shut.

“Excuse me.”

Gabriel jerked at the sound of a voice so close to him.  Not a good thing to do when standing on a ladder.  Strong hands grasped him around the waist to steady him. 

“Sorry.  I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Gabriel glanced behind him and gawked.  Big brown eyes looked back at him in concern.  With that look, this guy made puppies look like amateurs!  The subsequent thought was that the puppy-eyed stranger was gorgeous!  Easily one of the most handsome men he had ever seen.  And Gabriel was half leaning on him.  Self-conscious, Gabriel righted himself on the ladder which only gave him a vantage point where he could appreciate the whole picture.  The guy was a giant!  Gabriel was just about eye level with him and he was standing on the second step.  

The young man didn’t seem to notice Gabriel’s silent admiration and went on talking.  “I’m trying to find this book, but it doesn’t seem to be here.  Could you help me?”  The stranger held out a sticky note with a book title and catalogue number on it.  Gabriel blinked and forced himself to concentrate on the young man’s words.  Book.  Library.  Librarian.  Oh, that would be him.  Gabriel climbed down from the ladder and took a second glance at the sticky note.  The catalogue number coordinated with the older books kept upstairs.  The guy was definitely new to this library and another soon-to-be lawyer Gabriel guessed, based on the title of the book.

Gabriel motioned for the young man to follow him and led him to a side door, leading to the upstairs.  He only glanced back a couple of times to admire the view.  Ogling the librarian patrons would likely get him fired so he kept it to only a few glimpses, he swears.  Finding the book didn’t take long enough and Gabriel was too soon pulling it out and handing it over.  He didn’t linger.  While Mr. Gorgeous was skimming through the pages, Gabriel slipped into a different aisle.  By the time, the student remembered to thank him, he was long gone.

Returning to his abandoned cart, Gabriel finished restacking the books on it to their proper locations.  He saw the young man once more when he came back downstairs with several books.  Mr. Gorgeous paused and glanced around until they both saw a cute blonde woman waving her arm.

“Sam, over here!”  The young man, he now knew was named Sam, grinned and Gabriel melted a little.  He should smile more often he thought as he watched Sam hurry over to the blonde’s table where she sat with three others.  She returned the smile and jumped up to hug him before he could empty his arms. 

Gabriel turned away.  The two were obviously a couple or if not, they would be soon.  Good for them.  Really, they were perfect for each other.  Gabriel glanced at the clock.  He still had half an hour before he could leave.  His eyes swept over the room.  Everything seemed in place down here and Pam could handle the patrons.  He moved over to the check-out desk and knocked on the counter to get Pam’s attention.  When she raised an eyebrow, he pointed upstairs to let her know where he’d be.  She nodded and motioned him to go on.  On slow days, Pam didn’t mind if he spent his time in the old stacks.  He would dust or rearrange the old books only to put them back in order.  As long as he looked busy, nobody would bother him.    

On his way to the stairs, Gabriel stole another glance at the happy couple.  Neither took any notice of him which didn’t surprise him.  Not many people did notice him. This is why he had been startled when Sam spoke to him since most patrons chose to ask whoever was at the desk for help.  He was glad Sam had even though nothing would come of it.  Even if he wasn’t with that beautiful blonde, someone like him would never look at Gabriel twice; would never smile just because they saw him across the room.   

Below average height, average looks, and add on the fact he was older than most of the university students, he had nothing to offer to a young, handsome, most likely heterosexual law student.    

Once upon a time, he wouldn’t have let that stop him.  He could talk circles around people making them so confused they didn’t know what they had agreed to until it was too late.  He managed to a get date with a hot soccer player that way and convinced the other teen he was at the very least, bi-curious.  With his quick wit, Gabriel was also able to get out of a lot trouble by prattling away as well.  Trouble mostly brought on by his love of pranking people. 

Upstairs, Gabriel picked up a dust rag he’d left on a shelf from the other day, and began to wipe off the rarely used books.  A rare smile slipped through as he recalled some of his pranks like the time he put pink dye in Luc’s shampoo.  Or locked Michael and is girlfriend in the empty horse stall they had been fooling around in.  Or how he tricked a 13-year-old Cas into getting drunk by telling him the colorful drinks were only a new kind of cool-aid.  Okay, he winced that was a really bad idea.  Not only did Cas throw up in his car, but mom was awake and waiting for them when they came in after curfew.  His argument that he was only trying to ensure Cas didn’t become another alcoholic teen didn’t go over so well with his parents.  In retrospect his unintentional plan had worked, since Cas steered completely away from alcohol until way after his 21st birthday despite the amount of alcohol he had access to.  Their family did own a winery after all. 

The ghost of a smile vanished as it inevitable always did when he remembered the way it used to be when the six of them all lived in the ranch house.  It still hurt knowing his parents were gone even six years later. 

Gabriel’s phone vibrating was a welcome distraction and he pulled it out of his pocket.  A glance at the time informed him he had five minutes until his shift was over.  Cas had sent a text to let him know he was on his way.  Gabriel sent a reply before dropping the dust cloth onto the metal shelf to mark his spot.  Since few people came up here, it would be strange if it was moved.  Even now, the area was void of people so when he heard the clatter, he was surprised for the second time that day.  Following the noise, Gabriel was led to a phone buzzing on the metal shelf. 

Looking around, he saw nobody so with a shrug picked it up.  It was hardly the first time a student left their phone in the library. The screen said ‘Dean’ was calling, but Gabriel slid his finger over to ‘ignore’ so it would go to voicemail.  For a second he hesitated, but then he unlocked the phone to its main screen.  Somebody should learn to passcode their phone if they were going to leave it lying around.  He went to contacts and added his number under the name ‘L’ and sent a blank text message to himself.  It was childish, but sometimes quite entertaining to do.  Either the person would get pissed at his anonymous texts and delete his contact or as in one special case start an exchange.  This was how he met and befriended a foreign exchange student named Balthazar.        

Feeling better now that he had someone to annoy, Gabriel managed a tired smile for Pam as he dropped the phone into the Lost and Found box at the main counter.  She rolled her eyes when she saw him, guessing correctly at his antics. 

“One day you are going to get into real trouble, you know.  It’ll turn out to belong to a drug dealer or pimp.” 

Gabriel raised an eyebrow and gestured to where they were.  A university library was hardly the place where that sort of person would hang out and if it ever did happen, well, Gabriel would be glad for the small bit of excitement in his dull existence.

“Yeah, yeah.  Get out of here.  Castiel is waiting for you.”  Grabbing his coat from under the counter, Gabriel then waved goodbye to the older librarian.  He slipped the coat on as he walked past the table where the gorgeous guy and his girl were in a heated discussion.  If the guy paused a moment to glance over at him, Gabriel never saw it.  His eyes were on his phone texting Becky to see if she needed any help at the stable that afternoon. 

“Gabriel.” Cas greeted as stoically as ever.  Gabriel rolled his eyes and kept walking, Cas turning to follow a few seconds later.  His younger brother caught up to him when he stopped to wait for the light to change at the end of the block.  From the corner of his eye, he saw two others approaching them.  As if life was mocking him today, it was another happy couple, the girl laughing and holding her boyfriend’s hand as they walked side-by-side down the sidewalk. 

Gabriel remembered what that was like.  In high school, he’d been very popular, active, dating the hot cheerleader (and a boy or two on the side).  But all that was before the accident.  The accident had changed his life forever.  And just when he was beginning to accept the changes with the persistence of his mom’s help, calamity struck again.  This time he and his brothers lost both their parents. 

Cas nudged him and he turned to see Cas sign without speaking.

/Is something wrong/

It wasn’t necessary.  Gabriel’s hearing was actually very good, but Cas sometimes just knew when conversations were best kept silent.  He also knew Gabriel hated being starred at by strangers when he was the only one using sign language. 

/Nothing is wrong/ Gabriel responded.  The light changed and Gabriel barreled on ahead.  He knew Cas didn’t believe him for a second, but it was on old argument.  One he was tired of.  Cas just didn’t get it.  And it wasn’t just the guy in the library.  It was most people.  Gabriel was disabled, a handicap in their eyes.  He was broken.  Nobody would be interested in dating him.  They didn’t want go out with someone who was mediocre to begin with.  His personal affliction undeniably made it more difficult to meet someone.  So Gabriel had given up years ago.  He knew would never have a chance at finding love.  

Not anymore. 

Not without a voice.


End file.
